Grave Donations

MORBID CURIOSITY: Celebrity Tombstones Across America

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Grave Donations

Welcome to my new page. This is a spot where you can send me your photos with great directions. when I can I will add the death stories. Send me your donations via email and I will add them to my site.

Joey Ramone

Gabba Gabba Hey!

The following tribute was brought you by the fine people who help find the tombstones, we like to see.

Special Thanks to Ginny who went out of her way to go to Mt. Zion Cemetery to get great photos and directions to his grave. Thanks to Wendy because without her we wouldn't know where he is. And finally thanks to Doeadear, Harry, Steve, and Daniel for their informative tidbits that helped put this together.

(If I have left anyone out please tell me.)

May 19, 1951 - April 15, 2001

Joey Ramone's signature

Born and raised in the Forest Hills section of Queens his interest began in music at the age of 13 when he started playing the drums. During the mid-70's while most clubs were playing Disco, Joey and the Ramones embarked on a new sound that would influence many bands such as Blondie and the Talking Heads.

Prior to the Ramones, Joey played in numerous bands throughout the New York area, using the band name "Jeff Starship."

Formed in 1974, The Ramones were originally a trio that consisted of Joey(Jeffry Hyman) Ramone, Johnny (John Cummings) Ramone, Dee Dee (Douglas Colvin) Ramone, and Tommy (Tome Erdelyi) Ramone who acted as the band's manager.

All the group's members adopted the last name "Ramone" after Dee Dee said that he heard that Paul McCartney used the name to check into hotels when he traveled with the Silver Beatles.

The group clad in torn blue jeans and leather jackets ala 50's greaser rockers, played their first concert on March 30, 1974 at New York's Performance Studio. This earned them permanent residency CBGB's a trendy nightclub who showcased cutting edge bands and has the worst bathrooms I have ever seen!

For the next year they earned a dedicated cult following as they inspired several other artists to form bands with simliar ideals.

By the end of 1975, the Ramones signed a recording contract, with exception to Patti Smith, they were the first New York punk band to ever sign a contract.

Their debut album, "Ramones," was recorded for just over $6000. This resulted in the 111th place on the U.S. album charts.

Next, their album made it's debut in Britain, where their records were becoming a big influence on a new generation of bands there too.

The 80's brought many projects for the Ramones they continued to tour and record. Also they contributed the theme song to the Stephen King movie "Pet Sematary," this track was included on Brain Drain. Soon band members were leaving to pursue other things. Alcoholism and stress began to take it's toll on the band and it's members.

By the early 90's, the Ramones sobered up. Joey and Marky underwent treatment for alcoholism and the band returned to the studio in 1992. This produced three albums, "Loco Live" and "Mondo Bizarro" and "Acid Eaters." In 1995, the band embarked on a long farewell tour. After the completion of the Lollapalooza festival, the band broke up for good after 20 years.

In 1999, Joey was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system. Puzzled by the his disease he questioned his fate by saying that he was just a regular guy who "cleaned his own house." When asked by talk show host, Chaunce` Hayden, what his plans were for the year 2000 and beyond, Joey said although they were getting older, he was certain that he would be around to rock on.

As his disease progressed he was forced to enter a New York City Hospital ( yuk! that alone would kill you) and on Sunday, April 15th, at 2:40 pm, Joey passed away with his family at his side. He was only 49.

His service and burial was on Tuesday, April 17th at the New Mount Zion Cemetery in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

Mt. Zion, is part of the Hillside Cemetery as you will see in the drawing below. The main entrance is on the corner of of Rutherford Avenue and Orient Way. If you continue down Orient Way, enter via the 3rd gate (there is a maintenance shed nearby). Go straight in, the Jewish section is on your right hand side. Go about

3/4 of the way down and look for the New York Social Club gate (above photo).

After you enter, go about 3 rows to your right and look for the "Hyman" Tombstone (about 10 - 20 feet at the most). Joey's grave is the second to the right of this tombstone. Here's a photo soon after burial.

Here's the map of the cemetery.

Well once again you've seen it first here. Thanks again to those who made this possible!

Here's a family tombstone with me. The photographer is my 10 year old daughter, Jacqueline.

August 28, 1902 (the exact date of birth is not known) - January 15, 1983

This photo was difficult to get because NO ONE in that cemetery would help me find it. Even the caretakers are fiercely loyal to their bosses or maybe they fear the repercussions of the mob! The only way I found it was to walk the whole cemetery stone by stone, thank God it wasn't a Forest Lawn or you would be viewing my headstone instead.

Meyer is one of the few mobsters not to die at the hand of another mobster. He contracted lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove part of his lung in hopes to keep the cancer from spreading. Unfortunately it spread down from the lung into the diaphragm and into various almost inaccessible spots close to the kidney and spine. Radiation treatment might have slowed the cancer's fast growth, but doctor's had little hope.

He spent his last days in Mount Sinai Hospital where he later died. The radiation treatment was burning him, it hurt his throat and he could barely speak. His appetite was gone. All they could do for him at this point was to give him drugs to manage his pain and to keep him comfortable. Meyer spent all of his time lying in bed, with tubes going in and out of his body. Though he was sedated with regular injections, he would pick away at the tubes, and on the morning of Friday, January 14th, he managed to pull out the tube that ran down his throat. His wife was there as the doctor and nurses fought to force the tube back down again. Despite his frail weak state, he fought them off, screaming. Later that evening he suffered a nose bleed which nurses could not stop. In the end, they could do no more than pack the nostril, and leave him lying there exhausted, but conscious enough to recognize his wife. He cried out to her, "Let me go!" Heavily sedated, Lansky fell into a deep sleep from which he never awoke. He died in the wee hours of Saturday, January 15, 1983. To the disappointment of the press there was no gangland funeral. There were no limousines, exotic wreaths, or broad shoulder ushers in black suits. His was, by mob standards, a bargain basement send off. He is buried in Mt. Nebo Cemetery, 5900 SW 77th Ave, Miami, Florida. If you want to visit take I-95 to SR836 (the Dolphin Expressway) to the Palmetto Expressway south towards, Coral Way, Merge onto the 826, take SW 56th Street/Miller Dr. exit. Keep right at fork in the ramp, merge on SW 56th Street, left on 77th Court then left into the cemetery. Go to the northwest corner of the cemetery. He is easily visible from the road. Look for names Schiff, Bloom, Wexler, and Applesteirn, if you see them you're in the right area. Like Meyer they are all upright tombstones, with gravemarkers in the ground.

Richard Farnsworth who recently died from a self inflicted gunshot wound to end his suffering from terminal cancer. This grave was donated by Anneabe, who is one of the best gravehunters I know. If you are interested in finding Richard just follow Anne's great directions: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills -Courts of Remembrance Col. Of Purity, N-63294 As you go

to the back of the Courts of Remembrance go left follow the wall on the left.

You will pass a room then walk down the stairs. He's on that wall on the left

8 niches up from the ground and 3 niches in. Start counting from the far

right side of the wall.

Here's another from Anneabe, Julie London

Here's how you find Julie: Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills- Courts of Remembrance Col. Of Providence above the door

Very top row in the middle.

I f you are ever in Chicago, here's one of interest that took me well over an hour to find, thanks to the cooperation of the cemetery staff. But is a good one that not even "Findagrave" has.

Gene Siskel

In 1998, Siskel underwent brain surgery to remove a brain tumor. It was rumored that he contracted the tumor from excessive cell phone use. For the next few weeks after surgery, Siskel did his program from his hospital bed. There he took a wry note of the rivalry between him and Ebert, when he announced his leave in January, 1999, “I’m in a hurry to get well, because I don’t want Roger to get more screen time than I.” Two weeks after his departure from the show, he died from complications of the surgery. He was 53.

Westlawn Cemetery (Closed Saturday)

7801 W. Montrose Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

Directions: From I-90 get off at Harlem Road (Hwy. 43) south make a right on Montrose Avenue the cemetery is on the left.

Don’t even think about asking for any directions, because they won’t give you any. You can obtain a map of the cemetery any where throughout the cemetery. Go to the Memorial Section. Look for the street marker 22-24 and look for “GLORIA LODEN MARTIN” then count 17 back.